Author: Scott

Paintball is a game which is played in all parts of the world with identical enthusiasm. This game is based on certain rules as all others are based upon. In this game a player reduce their opponents by pouring paint on them. The teams participating in this game try their best to capture the flag of their enemy team and return it back to its initial position which is the primary objective of this game too.

So if you are fond of playing paintball, then you must keep all the amenities related to this game to grab the triumph. But just possessing those all is not sufficient for a comfortable game. It is so because in this game you are hit by paintball splatter which spoils all of these amenities along with your mask.

Playing with a stained mask could be dangerous regarding your game as well as your face too. Well, to avoid all these problems you must be familiar with cleaning your mask. The basic step of cleaning the mask includes wiping the paintball hits with a soft cloth. Some times oil paint is also used in the game which is hard to wipe off, so rubbing it with cotton cloth is not sufficient. Such type of stains could be easily removed by spraying water on them.

If the paint gets into the crannies and nooks of your mask, then spray water continuously on the stains until it is wiped away because letting these stains dry makes cleaning of your disguise a cumbersome job. Now rub your mask with a clean rag otherwise the paint will be spread around again.

Although these all steps are sufficient to make your mask spotless but to attain proper cleanliness you must treat your lens and eye shade separately. Every mask has the different strategy to remove glass and eyeshades, so consult the user manual that came with the mask. With the eyeshades and lens removed, only spray the stains that you missed during incomplete cleaning and then wipe it with your soft cotton cloth.

Whether it’s some splatter from a near hit or a full-on hit to the face, you need to get your paintball mask back into top shape so that you can get back in the game. While you can only run a rag over the paint, to get your mask clean, you need to take a little more time and follow some simple steps. Be careful while cleaning the lens as excessive wiping with cloth can scratch the glass so avoid letting the paint get dry.

They might all look same from the naked eye, but the truth is that longboards differ a lot from one particular brand to the other. Starting from having a different construction, the best longboard brands offers product having distinct features and designs for their valuable customers. Furthermore, these products are designed to serve needs of a specific customer. When one longboard can work all so well for your friend, same might not be the case with you. As a result, it might get a little confusing for a customer when it comes to his/her preferred longboard selection.

But worry not. In order to make this purchase a doddle for our valuable readers, the below-mentioned guide will contain all the information which one might need in this aspect. Afterward, users can easily purchase the best longboard as per their needs.

Buying Guide – Things to look for in the best longboard

Styles of Riding

The longboard riding can be done for more than one purposes. Varying from the freestylers to the regular commuters, this particular product comes handy in multiple ways.

So before setting foot in the market, customers should make themselves familiar with what kind of riding are they going to do and it will eventually help them to select the right product.

Cruising

For users who are relatively new to this sport, this is the kind of riding which they will do on their respective longboards. Basically, it is that type of longboarding where riders will move through sloped streets or flat surfaces while going to attend their classes, traveling to the workplace or even visiting the nearby retail store.

Considering such riders who have to counter the pedestrians for more often than not, they should consider buying small longboards. It will help them to make their way through the crowds without getting stuck in the traffic. However, if the foot traffic is thin in your area, go for the board which is longer in shape for having increased stability.

Downhill

Longboarding on a downhill terrain is all about speed and ferocity. However, while doing so, riders have to maintain stability as well in order to have the utmost control over their longboards. This type of riding is normally associated with skilled riders who can go over 60 MPH while riding on their longboards.

Freestyle Riding

As evident from the name, there are no rules associated with this type of riding. Freestylers can ride wherever they want and in order to do so, use whatever types of longboards without any restriction. When such sort of riding is normally associated with newbies, experts usually do it to have some fun.

Riders perform multiple tricks while doing freestyle riding so the board on which they ride should also be well equipped.

Freeride

One for the experts, who can control their longboards through extremely larger descents, Freeride involve longboarding on the hills. It involves high-speed riding, sharp turns and sliding to improve your control over the longboard. In terms of fulfilling such kind of demands, the longboards for freeride are generally much well-constructed by all means.

Deck Style

The deck is the flat board on which you will stand when longboarding. Once you’ve decided what type of riding you are going to do, now is the time to select the deck style for your longboard. This particular feature plays a key role in improving the stability of your board, how well it performs and finally the ease of riding on different types of terrains.

Remember, the higher board will translate into the higher center of gravity. As a result, you will enjoy less stability while suffering from foot fatigue. But on the other hand, it will help the riders to move at a swift speed which is not possible with the lower boards.

Top Mount

A traditional shape, this is generally the most inexpensive longboard which riders can purchase from today’s market. Having a mounted top, it means that this board will utilize a higher center of gravity and consequently, lesser stability. However, these boards can attain a much higher speed than their drop-through counterparts which makes it a viable purchase for almost all types of riding. In fact, it is such a versatile design so that even the professional riders opt for top mounted design in their preferred longboards.

DropThrough

For users who have to ride to a considerable distance, they should go for the drop through design. In this shape, the deck is mounted on the truck in order to have a lower COG. So when users will feel less fatigue while having a proper amount of stability, such a longboard is good to use for downhill, freeride as well as cruising for greater distances.

DoubleDrop

This particular design features a unique style to keep your feet much closer to the ground at all times. It eventually results in greater stability as compared to the above-mentioned types but when it is difficult to construct, the double drop decks are usually the most expensive longboards which customers can purchase.

As per their preferred usage, this kind of deck normally goes into the construction of longboards for downhill riding.

LongboardShape

Nowadays, Longboards usually comes in two different shapes. Both of them have their pros and cons, so riders should think carefully before selecting either of them.

Directional

With the directional longboards, there is just one way to go and that is forward. Featuring an asymmetrical design along the movement’ direction, this shape is associated with carving, cruising as well as downhill riding.

TWIN Longboards

Also known as the Symmetrical Longboards, the TWIN longboards provides similar feel in all directions. It can be ridden in either direction and for freestylers, who have to perform 180-degree slides, this is the way to go.

Flex

When it comes to flex rating, it can depend on many factors namely the material of construction, the concave and finally, the length of the longboards. But as per its importance, it differentiates the amateur longboards from that of the professional riders.

Soft Flex

Most forgiving. For amateur riders, boards with the softer flex provide admirable shock absorption on uneven terrains. As already mentioned, such types of boards should be used for smooth cruising as these are just not suitable for the high-end users.

Medium Flex

Having a greater degree of flex as compared to the aforesaid type, these are ideal for an amateur to mid-level riders who will use the longboards for cruising or traveling purposes at a moderate speed.

Stiff Flex

For the high-end users, such types of boards possess the least degree of forgiveness. They can be used for riding at extremely higher speeds as they will stay intact without any hesitation. So if you’re looking to purchase a longboard for riding through the hills or even freeriding, this should be your ideal purchase.

Features

The best longboards are equipped with certain special features which make them distinct regarding the intended usage.

KickTail

The bent edges of the longboard deck, the Kicktails are there to assist a rider in order to enjoy a greater degree of maneuverability. These are present in the everyday skateboards as riders use them to lift the skateboard for doing all sorts of tricks.

Kick Tail is present on one end in case of the directional longboards. And as far as the symmetrical boards are concerned, they have two kicktails with one on either end of the board

WheelWells

In order to stop the wheels from making contact with the board in any way, the wheel wells are of utmost importance. If the wheel touches the deck even slightly, it will cause the board to stop in an abrupt manner. It can have dire consequences for the users who can then be thrown away from the board. Hence, the wheel wells allow the riders to take hard turns without worrying about any such discrepancy.

Concave

Longboards having such a feature will have slightly higher edges as compared to the center of the deck. Such a construction is necessary to keep the best longboard shoes intact as the rider is taking swift turns at an enhanced speed. Basically, it will increase the contact area of the feet with the surface of the deck. So when the users will have a solid traction with the deck’s surface, it will keep them from slipping at a consistent basis.

This feature is normally important with downhill riding where users are always craving for a higher degree of stability. So you will normally see the downhill boards having higher edges as compared to the ones for freestyling.

Arguably the most popular sport in the World, it takes just one thing to play soccer, the ball. This is an essential equipment regarding this sport, without whom this game has no existence. But when this sport is easy to comprehend, there is no such case when it comes to the selection of best soccer ball.

When soccer is being played all around the globe, it has prompted a series of manufacturers to come up with their product range. Varying in their construction, size, and price, there are thousands of balls currently available in the soccer market. When some of them are top notch, there are others which are substandard.

So as a customer of the soccer ball, one has to be extremely careful regarding this particular purchase. Not only it could turn out to be a costly mistake, but it can also ruin his playing experience on the soccer field.

However, if you want to make this purchase a cinch, the below-mentioned guide is of great help. Carefully prepared while keeping in mind the needs of modern day footballers, it will give some valuable tips on how to select the best soccer ball.

Soccer Ball Buying Guide

Proper Size: One thing which users need to understand is that every soccer ball is not of the same size. Depending on the age of a player, soccer balls are typically differentiated into three different sizes. For players who’re under the age of 8, it is the Size 3 soccer ball which is termed as the most appropriate. Having a circumference of 24 inches, this ball weighs as low as just 12 ounces.

For children between the age of 8 and 12, the size 4 soccer ball, with an outer boundary of 26 inches and an overall weight of 13 ounces is frequently used. It allows them to make full use of their physical abilities, as every ball is carefully crafted by keeping in mind the needs of its user.

Lastly, for the players older than this age, they should use the size 5 balls. Weighing 14 to 16 ounces, this ball is tailor made to serve the needs of grown-ups.

Professional Match Balls: Approved by football’s governing body FIFA, the professional match balls pass through a series of arduous tests before getting final approval. It includes tests on their construction, shape, performance and the way it absorbs water on the football field. Once approved, these are used in the World’s top Soccer Leagues as well as the other International matches.

Training Balls: Used for training, such kind of ball frequently incorporates a tougher material of construction. Players can use them on a variety of terrains as this ball is designed to last for an extended duration of time.

Indoor Balls: Designed to be used in a confined space, indoor balls have relatively less rebounding ability in order to suit the needs of Indoor Soccer. Their cover is much more rigid which won’t fall apart after making regular contact with the surrounding boundary.

Futsal Balls: When Futsal is all about control and adaptability, that eventually gets illustrated in the balls used in this sport. As compared to the regular soccer balls, the Futsal balls are much smaller in size with a much lesser amount of bounce.

The Material of Construction: Manufacturers nowadays make use of two materials – Poly Vinyl Carbonate or Polyurethane — when it comes to making decent quality soccer balls. When PVC is much more durable and abrasion-resistant than PU, it is usually used in the construction of Indoor, Training as well as Futsal Balls.

As per Polyurethane, this particular MOC is exclusively employed in the professional match balls. A ball made of Polyurethane is much softer as compared to its PVC counterpart. It also holds a better response at the moment of impact. So when professional players are always looking for a ball which can travel the distance, PU do that it an imperious manner.

Bladders: A chamber filled with air to keep the ball swollen, Bladder is present in the inner portion of the soccer balls. There are two types of bladders which are normally used in the Soccer ball, Butyl, and Latex. When Butyl is famous for its softer feel, the Latex comes handy regarding better air retention. So as far as the professional match ball is concerned, it’s the butyl bladder which gets used in them for obvious reasons.

Once you’ve selected a soccer ball on the basis of aforementioned information, now is the time to buy a pair of cleats. A key part of a footballer’s armoury, the footwear can make a big difference in their owner’s performance on the pitch. But just like the soccer ball, the purchase of Best Soccer cleats is no less than an uphill task.

Depending on a player’s position in his respective team, the type of terrain on which he is going to play, every soccer cleat is designed to suit a special circumstance. When players from two different positions cannot use the same footwear, same is the case with a player from Futsal vs. Soccer. So before setting foot in the market, it is imperative that a shopper should make himself familiar with all such terms.

Buying Guide – How to Buy the Best Soccer Cleats

Types of Soccer Cleats

Firm Ground Shoes: If you’re going to play on a firm surface, where it doesn’t rain much through the entire length of the year, the Moulded Cleats should be your ideal purchase. Designed for entry to mid-level soccer players, their studs are normally made of PU, TPU or rubber. These studs are non-replaceable, and as per their performance on the real grass, such kind of shoes provide decent traction.

Soft Ground Shoes: When it comes to playing on the soft surfaces, where the weather is usually unpredictable, one should always go for the cleats with detachable studs. Since such kind of cleats has to dig into the surface, the fact that these are easily replaceable is of great virtue to their respective owners.

Also present in the soft ground shoes are the studs of different length. The studs’ tips are made of metal which helps them to dig into the surface in the case of a wet, muddy outfield. So as far as the professional athletes are concerned, they usually opt for the soft ground shoes.

Indoor Soccer Shoes: Featuring a flat outsole, the shoes designed for indoor soccer have the same look as that of the traditional sneakers to a certain. For enhanced grip, the there outsole is normally made of rubber which helps the players to stand firm on the flat courts. Apart from using them for soccer-related activities, one can also wear them in other social gatherings.

Futsal Shoes: Extremely flimsy, Futsal soccer shoes are designed to give their owner a unique texture of comfort and adaptability. Since this particular type of soccer is all about tricks, developers take extra care while crafting shoes for the futsal fanatics.

Materials of Construction

Leather: Just like the every day’s footwear, Leather is normally the first choice of manufacturers when it comes to crafting high-quality soccer shoes. Durable material, the use of Leather imparts a better feel to the exterior of such shoes.

But in the leather itself, there are different categories based on the source of origin. When the shoes made of calfskin leather are less expensive, they will not provide the same feel as that of the ones featuring Kangaroo Leather. But on the other hand, Kangaroo Leather is quite expensive.

Synthetic: Designed for customers who’re looking to spend within a budget, the synthetic shoes can be used in the poor playing conditions which are commonly associated with beginners. They are easy to clean and even if it gets stricken with water, such shoes dry out pretty quickly.

Right Size

The most important factor regarding the purchase of soccer cleats, one should never compromise on the right fit. Particularly for users with wider feet, they should be extra vigilant. There are some brands which are particularly famous for crafting wider cleats, so pay a visit to them and purchase your ideal product.

Remember that soccer shoes should provide a more snug fit as compared to your traditional footwear in order to control the ball in an efficient manner. A general rule regarding the ideal size of the best soccer cleats is that there should be some space between the toe and the front portion of your feet. So keep all such things in mind, and it will improve your game dearly on the soccer field.